Cinco de Mayo ‘biggest day of year’ for Mexican eateries

It’s Cinco de Mayo all year long for the local Mexican eateries that bear that name — but the day itself is always one of the busiest days of the year, local restaurant managers said.

Cinco de Mayo, which is Spanish for “fifth of May,” is “the biggest weekend of the year,” said Arturo Castro, assistant manager at Cinco De Mayo Mexican Bar & Grill at 304 E. Alexis Road.

The eatery’s annual celebration will be bigger than last year, featuring the return of a jalapeño-eating contest at 5 p.m. May 4 and 5, Castro said.

Also on the calendar is a Tony Orlando revue and Elvis tribute contest 2-5 p.m. May 4 and folkloric dancers at 5 p.m. May 4 and 5. Starting at 4 p.m. May 5, there will be a live band downstairs and DJ and karaoke upstairs. Happy hour, featuring 12-ounce margaritas for $3.75, is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Carlos Fuentes, owner of La Fiesta Restaurante in Maumee, agreed Cinco de Mayo is “the biggest day of the year.”

The 1406 S. Reynolds Road eatery will feature a tent in the parking lot on May 5. Pints of draft beer and Mexican bottled beer will be $2.75. Margaritas will also be on special. DJ Excel will perform all night starting at 3 p.m. The Bradberries will perform at 6 p.m. There will also be giveaways all day.

“Any day we can give something back to our customers and pay them back what they give to us all year round is a good day,” Fuentes said. “This is the way I see it — a day you can celebrate with your customers.”

La Fiesta will also host a “warm-up party” May 3 and 4, featuring jumbo margaritas for $6.25 and 23-ounce domestic drafts for $2.99.

“A lot of people think Cinco de Mayo is Independence Day for Mexico, but it’s not,” said El Camino Real owner Jesus Angel. That’s Sept. 16. The May 5 holiday honors a great military victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

The festivities at El Camino Real, 2500 W. Sylvania Ave., will kick off May 2 with “the biggest guacamole ever made,” featuring free guacamole and chips to the first 100 people starting at 3 p.m., Angel said. Guacamole mash will be free to the first 100 people May 4.

The eatery will also feature a jalapeño toreado-eating contests on May 2, 3 and 5, burrito-eating contests on May 3 and 5 and a taco-eating contest on May 4. Folkloric dancers and a mariachi band will perform May 3. May 4 will feature $1 off drinks. May 5 will also feature a variety of DJs from local radio stations and plenty of giveaways all weekend, Angel said.

El Vaquero — with locations at The Docks, on Secor Road and in Perrysburg — will feature “five days of fun” starting May 1, said general manager Arne Lopez. There will be live DJs broadcasting on 101.5 The River from all three locations on May 5.

Specials include all Mexican beers, buckets of beer and pitchers of margaritas.

“It’s a party,” Lopez said. “It’s going to be a great day for a deal.”

Jeanie Kunzer, owner of Loma Linda, is excited because Cinco de Mayo falls on the Swanton eatery’s Margarita Monday this year.

Mi Hacienda, 3302 Glanzman Road, will offer food and drink specials all weekend, including half-off beer, 12-ounce margaritas and jumbo house margaritas during happy hour from 2-6 p.m. May 5-6. Food specials include a $5.99 taco dinner on May 5 and $2 off fajitas on May 6. There will be a DJ on the patio on May 5.

Other events

The Toledo Zoo will host its 14th annual Cinco de Mayo event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 4, including performances from DJ Tony Rios at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and the El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico at noon and 2 p.m. There will also be a piñata at 1 p.m. and cultural crafts throughout the day, said zoo events coordinator Jen Brassil. The events are free with a paid zoo admission.

“Compared to other Cinco de Mayo celebrations, we’re very family-oriented,” Brassil said. “I think people just love to see the performances and all the costumes.”

Bowling Green State University’s Latino Student Union and Latino Networking Alliance will celebrate Cinco de Mayo a week early. Its Latinopalooza event, featuring “food, games and fun” will take place 1-5 p.m. April 26 on the University Hall lawn.

Admiral’s American Grill: Unique food on the Docks

Even after viewing all the drama involved with family-run restaurants on the show “Kitchen Nightmares,” Mike Howard decided to open Admiral’s American Grill with his brother Habib and their cousin Mike McKarus.

Howard is confident they can revitalize the Docks after purchasing the restaurant formerly known as The Navy Bistro.

“It’s difficult, but I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” Howard said. “Obviously there are issues. Sometimes you have to pick your battles wisely. At the end of the day, we’re in it to have the best place possible. I want this to be one of the best places in Northwest Ohio, and it has the potential to be that.”

Howard, who graduated from the University of Toledo with a law degree and a master’s of business administration, has the most restaurant experience of the group. After working at Gatorz Bar & Grill on Monroe Street, he opened a Gatorz on Bancroft Street and ran it for two years. He sold the establishment in 2008 for $1.8 million and spent the next three years living in Columbus.

On March 18, Dashing Pacific Group Ltd. purchased the Docks for $2.15 million. Later that day, Howard and his relatives, operating as The Docks Venture LLC, signed a 25-year lease.

“They want this restaurant district to be their focal point,” Howard said. “We’re part of the centerpiece of a huge investment. That’s why I’m so happy to be here.”

Mike Howard

The new owners are assuming the liability of $750,000 that former owner Tom Cousino owed to Genoa Bank.

“We were friends with Genoa Bank,” Howard said. “They kind of brought the deal to us. They had a bunch of offers. They gave us a better deal than anybody else. Since then, I’ve turned down two offers for it. I believe in it. I plan on being here for a long time.”

The deal also included the restaurant Tango’s, which The Docks Venture LLC is subleasing to El Vaquero. The restaurant plans to open as soon as the owners receive their liquor license.

“I used to go to their place all the time in Columbus,” he said. “I had five different Mexican restaurants interested, but I was waiting for El Vaquero. I’m excited for them to work out.”

The Navy Bistro and Tango’s shared one large kitchen which Howard split into separate kitchens for each new restaurant. Other renovations were made such as removing a staircase, raising awnings and adding televisions, but Howard was mostly content with the overall appeal.

“They definitely didn’t cut any corners when they built this place,” he said. “Anything we would have done would have made it look cheaper.”

Since they kept much of the Navy Bistro’s décor intact, Howard settled on a nautical name.

“I Googled ‘nautical names’, and one of the first things was admiral,” Howard said. “When we got in here, I realized there is a room called Admirals Library. We thought about calling it 26 Main because of the address, but this works better.”

After opening with traditional American cuisine, the menu has been changed to reflect the nautical theme with a selection of seafood along with pastas and steaks. The restaurant emphasizes fresh food, including making its own bread and chips daily.

“It’s unique food that nobody really has,” Howard said. “Where can you go in Toledo to get frog legs and oysters? It just doesn’t exist.”

The change in menu is a result of Howard learning the restaurant business on the fly.

“You’re constantly learning,” he said. “This was our third edition of the menu in about a month. We’ve gone through four different chefs. Finally I think we have a good crew.”

Another thing Howard learned is there’s a high demand for wine.

“I’m learning a lot trying to figure out peoples’ likes and dislikes,” he said. “I never realized how many people drink wine in places like this. I doubled and tripled my wine menu, now I’m going to start adding more to it.”

Along with the wine bar, Admiral’s features banquet rooms, a courtyard and a patio with a grill and live entertainment. Howard wanted to keep his focus on running the restaurant, so he hired a wedding coordinator to exclusively handle booking events for the courtyard and banquet rooms.

Admiral’s is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekends. The restaurant holds an all-you-can-eat brunch Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Let Bell sell

Toledo Mayor Mike Bell is carving a legacy directly between his two most recent predecessors, but City Council is throwing obstacles in his way like a bunch of mindless videogame zombies.

Former mayor Jack Ford was known for his laid-back approach while former mayor Carty Finkbeiner was known for his hands-on approach. Those descriptions may fall short of the extremes each man displayed, but no matter how wide the range of styles, the moderate Bell is inarguably operating in a more palatable zone.

Two recent Bell actions go a long way toward defining his administration. Bell’s continued courting of Chinese investors to bring life to the waterfront is a savvy business move that may one day be looked upon as his greatest legacy. If there is indeed a time when The Docks and the Marina District finally cash in on the potential and promise of the Toledo waterfront, Bell’s trip to China and his subsequent cultivation of investment dollars will be cast as an historic moment.

If nothing comes of the investment? Then Bell will be remembered as a mayor who gave the waterfront an opportunity, a man who facilitated an opportunity and provided an atmosphere for investment. The foot-dragging and stalling from City Council, in the face of a group that is not asking for any city breaks or favors, illustrates why Toledo fades and slips while other areas invest and grow. Due diligence is one thing; obstructionist behavior is reckless.

Some on Council say they are troubled by the details of the deal, especially the city’s asking price in relation to the costs of a generation of maintenance. But as any businessperson (or Realtor) will tell you, a good, service or piece of land is only worth what the market will bear.

It’s well past time for some Downtown development “Hail Mary” plays, and Bell and his team seem to understand that.

The other notable action is Bell’s push for a lobbyist to represent Toledo in Columbus. Toledo Finance Director Patrick McLean advocated for the idea, based on his observations and experience in Columbus. It is a controversial move in a time of budget cuts and fiscal pain, but again, the move shows the Bell administration’s efforts to try new approaches to old problems. We now have to trust that once in Columbus, the lobbyist will be accessible to hear Toledo’s business and social concerns as he or she works on making sure Toledo receives its fair share of attention from state government.

Turning around the city’s fortunes is a massive effort. It will take years to see the payoff. We can see what a wise investment Fifth Third Field and the Huntington Center were; Council needs to consider the long-term benefits of letting Bell make some brave moves.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Andrew Z: ‘I’ve had to pay the consequences’

I could “pack up and leave,” as many have told me, “because I’m not wanted in Toledo.” But I’ve chosen to fight and get my name back. I’ve had several morning radio job offers outside of Toledo and Ohio and my family and I have thought about leaving and just “starting over.” But I have been welcomed and embraced by this community like nowhere I’ve lived before. We have a house here, my two daughters were born here, my mom moved here from California to be with her two granddaughters and my wife’s sister has moved here from Wisconsin to be closer to her sister. Needless to say, we aren’t leaving.

I have honestly tried to make a positive difference in this community. When Keith Dressel was tragically shot I was out in the community collecting money for his wife Danielle. When Lake Local High School needed a grant I broadcasted my entire show live from the school to make sure they got it! When Children’s Wonderland was in danger of not being seen by kids at Christmastime I took on the project and made sure the kids could enjoy this Toledo tradition. When a woman tragically had her son and brother killed in a car accident and then had her house burn down I led the effort to build her a brand new house at no cost to her! I received a badge that says “brother” from the TPD which I will treasure forever. I didn’t do these things because I had to … I did them because I truly do care.

Many say that my plea was to avoid jail time and I should be “thrown in the slammer.” All I ask is that you speak to someone that’s involved in the legal system and I’m pretty sure that they will tell you that the offenses that I’m guilty of aren’t even offenses you would serve jail time for.

Now I’m not a saint and I’m not perfect. I make mistakes everyday. I’m just trying to lead a better life everyday. But I’ve never been in trouble my entire adult life. This incident doesn’t define who I am and I won’t let it.

It’s a mistake that I made and I’ve had to pay the consequences:

I’m currently doing everything the courts have ordered, I have used all of my 401(K) to pay the back taxes, I have paid back my employees, I’ve lost three businesses, I have lost my job, I’m on unemployment and food stamps for the first time in my life, I have suffered public humiliation and I’m in the process of filing for bankruptcy. And I’m currently completely broke. Please believe me when I tell you I have not “gotten off easy.”

The only thing that has helped me “keep it together” is the time I have been able to spend as a stay at home dad with my almost 3-month-old daughter Kenzley. She has been the one bright spot of the last 5 months.

I realize it’s much easier, and more fun, to persecute rather than to forgive … but I’m not asking for forgiveness … I’m just asking for a second chance. The lease holder of the “Metropolis” building at the Docks was going to give me that second chance. Then pressure from vocal Toledo residents caused the city to step in and put a hold on the deal.

I have two passions in life … radio and restaurants. I was going to be given the opportunity to take the hard lessons I’ve learned over the last year and apply them at a spot on the Docks that’s only open one day a week. We were going to use the kitchen and add another restaurant option at the Docks to a building that’s closed over 95 percent of the week.

I love the Docks! When I first came to town almost 6 years ago I had my first meal there and was impressed from then on. Some say the Docks best days are behind it but I truly believe that its best days are ahead for this crown jewel of Toledo! I also believe that I still have so much to give to the city that has given me and my family so much joy and happiness!

Yes I’m asking for a second chance … and if I screw up again then run me out of town, with pitchforks if you would like, and I will go!

If you don’t think I’m sincere, have questions or just want to yell at me please call me on my cell phone (419) 345-3375 … I would be happy to speak with you.

Indiana, Chicago pursue Chinese investment

Toledo isn’t the only place in the Midwest pursuing Chinese investment.

A new nonprofit, the America China Society of Indiana, aimed at promoting trade and investment between Indiana and China, was recently formed. The group is praised by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard as being essential to creating jobs in the global economy.

On Jan. 20 and 21, Chinese President Hu Jinato made a visit to Chicago, and Mayor Richard Daley claimed he’d like Chicago to become the friendliest U.S. city to China.

“Here we are with this opportunity after this one trip with opportunities and interest. This puts us head and shoulders further out than some,” said Dean Monske, deputy mayor of external affairs for Toledo.

Monske said investment in The Docks and future investments from China could be a positive thing for the city if citizens allow it to be.

Monske said he’s embarrassed by some of the bigoted and racist comments that have appeared on news sites and blogs about the Chinese interest in The Docks. He said it’s been a knee-jerk reaction, but if people keep up with their negativity it could cost the city future investments.

“If we decide no, we don’t want Chinese investment as a community, then I’m sure Indianapolis, Chicago, Columbus or Cleveland will be happy to take those dollars, and Toledo will still be the same as it was 20 years ago

20 years from now,” he said.

Monske said those making the comments need to be more educated about the fact that the Chinese investors want exactly what we want. “To be successful and secure.” The city and the country won’t lose its identity if China invests in it, he said.

The City of Toledo has announced investors from China are interested in acquiring the property known as The Docks.

Dashing Pacific Group Ltd., an Ohio LLC established by the real estate investors from China, has offered the city $2.15 million for The Docks.

“When you talk about economic development and being able to turn Toledo around, you’ve got to have people who want to come to your city,” said Mayor Mike Bell during a press conference.

The mayor said the interest in the property is a direct result of relationships built during his administration’s trip to China.

If City Council approves the sale, this will be Dashing Pacific’s first investment in the United States, said Scott Prephan, a representative for the group.

“I feel, and the group feels, that this is just the start of what may prove to be a long-term relationship well beyond The Docks, which will be of great benefit to Toledo and the region as a whole,” he said.

City appeals Docks appraisal

As the city prepares to sell the property known as The Docks, it is appealing the area’s most recent tax appraisal.

David McDowell, commercial appraisal supervisor in the Lucas County Auditor’s office, told Toledo Free Press on Jan. 26 that the current tax value for the 10-acre parcel that encompasses The Docks is nearly $5.6 million. This does not include the building value of a venue used for a rowing club. The current tax value of the buildings that make up The Docks is $4,321,100; the land value for the 10 acres is $1,278,100.

McDowell said the taxes for some of the parcels are under a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credit, which is one of the reasons the property is detailed in a per-building scenario. Each CRA has a different expiration date.

He also stated that the Board of Revisions (BOR) had recently made a decision on an appeal filed by the City of Toledo seeking to reduce the appraised tax value on the property. If the city accepts the BOR decision, the 2010 value for the 10-acre property, including The Dock buildings, would be approximately $3.5 million.

AREIS Online records show Toledo currently owes $13,210.39 from first half and $17,599.04 for second half for property taxes on the the 10-acre property parcel. A payment of $26,779.98 was made on Nov. 29, 2010 for the first half and a previous outstanding amount owed from 2009.

The City of Toledo recently announced investors from China are interested in acquiring the property.

Dashing Pacific Group Ltd., an Ohio LLC established by the real-estate investors from China, has offered the city $2.15 million for The Docks.

“When you talk about economic development and being able to turn Toledo around you’ve got to have people who want to come to your city,” said Mayor Mike Bell during a press conference.

“We’re very, very happy about this particular initiative here.”

The mayor said the interest in the property is a direct result of relationships built during his administration’s trip to China.

City Council members have been given information about the agreement and will have their first reading of the proposed sale Feb. 1.

If City Council approves the sale, this will be the Dashing Pacific’s first investment in the United States, said Scott Prephan a representative for the group.

“I feel and the group feels, that this is just the start of what may prove to be a long term relationship well beyond The Docks, which will be of great benefit to Toledo and the region as a whole,” he said.

Prephan said depending on how the sale acquisition goes, Dashing Pacific could also be interested in other investment opportunities in Toledo.

With its purchase of The Docks, Dashing Pacific is interested in keeping the area a place with restaurants, but also plans to make improvements to the building’s structure and lighting, Prephan said. While rumors of a Chinese restaurant at The Docks have been floating around, the investors are not restaurateurs and will most likely fill the vacant spaces with local restaurants, he said.

It is most likely the property will be managed by someone local, Prephan said.

The sale only includes the property known as The Docks, but the city continues to market other properties it owns to both foreign and domestic investors, Bell said.

Future of Docks uncertain

Former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner’s administration had a vision for Downtown restaurants along the Maumee River. After approaching 24 different local and national restaurateurs, including chains such as T.G.I. Friday’s and Dave & Busters, Tom and Eileen Cousino took a “risk” and made an investment with the first restaurant at The Docks, Finkbeiner said.

After nearly 15 years in business at The Docks, Front Street Ventures, run by the Cousinos, closed the doors at the Navy Bistro, Tango’s Cantina and Courtyard at the Navy.

“It’s a tragedy that they’re out of business,” Finkbeiner said. “It doesn’t matter who replaces them, if it’s a big chain or Toledo restaurant. A company that has been with Toledo that long, was the first company to reside at The Docks, it breaks my heart that they’re not going to be there in 2011.”

The City of Toledo, which owns The Docks, was notified Jan. 6 that Front Street Ventures would shut its establishments at the waterside location due to financial problems.

The Docks

Front Street Ventures had been in arrears on its rent obligations to the City for the spaces, so in January 2009 the company entered into a payment plan.

Each month, Front Street Ventures was supposed to pay $13,000 for the facilities; it owes $99,000 in back rent.

“Everyone feels for Tom and Eileen, for what they have brought for the city and the region. The Cousinos helped East Toledo and Oregon,” said Dean Monske, deputy mayor of external relations for the city. “It’s sad that the economy would lead to this for them.”

“As their landlord, we don’t want to see them depart. We’d much rather see that they’re full and vibrant,” he said.

Tom Cousino told Toledo Free Press on Jan. 6, “We had 15 nice years and gave Toledo every ounce of energy we had. We are proud of our restaurants and what we created. I just want to thank Toledo for the past 15 years.”

He declined to reflect further on his business ventures at The Docks since he’s “still in the midst of everything.”

History at The Docks

Navy Bistro, once called Old Navy Bistro, opened in 1996 three years before another restaurant opened at The Docks. In 1999, Eileen’s Wine Bar opened within in the Navy Bistro and in 2000, Tango’s opened.

Cousino also helped manage Gumbo’s Bayou Grille, later known as Dockside Grille, for several years.

“You really have to thank Tom Cousino. Without his courage and entrepreneurial spirit, there wouldn’t be any Docks,” said Toledo City Councilman Mike Craig, whose district includes The Docks.

Craig said the venues were “excellent” places to eat and entertain at and their closing is a true loss for the city.

Prior to housing restaurants, the land that is currently The Docks was home to a city garage. In 1995, the city began converting the space to a commercial zone.

To date the city still owes $1.66 million of the roughly $2.7 million in bonds for The Docks project. The bonds were to be paid back by rent from the property.

The Real Seafood and Zia’s Italian Restaurant, both owned by Mainstreet Ventures, and Metropolis are still open at The Docks. Julie White, director of marketing for Mainstreet Ventures, said the company’s restaurants at the Docks have been up in sales during the past year.

What happened?

Speculation as to why the restaurants would fail include the troubled economy and road construction.

Between 2000 and 2008, off-and-on construction to the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge may have hindered patrons from reaching The Docks.

“[Sales] were definitely slower when the bridge was closed,” said Kelly Becker, general manager of the Real Seafood Co. “It was more challenging for the guest to get to us.”

Becker said she was surprised when Front Street Ventures announced the closing of its three locations.

“I was sad. They’ve been down here at The Docks longer than we have and have been such great neighbors. I didn’t realize they were struggling. Our business has been increasing steadily every year,” she said.

Moussa Salloukh, president of the Northwest Ohio Restaurant Association, worked between Navy Bistro and Tango’s for nine years.

Salloukh said he’d guess that bridge and road construction would be the main causes for the business failing.

“It was always a struggle with people being able to get over to us,” he said.

Salloukh said many independent restaurants are struggling because of the economy right now, and that could be another cause for the failure.

“I think like anything else we’re struggling,” he said. “We have more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the United State. Chains tend to have deep pockets and can wait out the economy. A lot of great independent operators are going under.”

Moving forward

The Docks won’t sit empty for very long, said Cathy Miller, interim president of Destination Toledo. The closing of any restaurant so near to the convention center is always a blow to tourism, but Miller believes strongly that the space will fill, she said.

“It’s prime real estate; riverfront view, with places for people to dock off Lake Erie and the Maumee River. It’s a sure thing it won’t sit for very long,” she said.

If history is any indicator, Miller’s prediction will come true. Throughout its short history The Docks has seen several tenants come and go.

Hoster Brewing Co., Oasis on the River Mediterranean Cuisine, The Dirty Martini Lounge and Flaming Pit Barbeque & Blues all were tenants of The Docks.

The city is working to find a tenant for the property, Monske said. Since announcing the closing of the Front Street Venture properties on Jan. 6, the city has received calls from roughly a dozen parties interested in the space, he said.

In addition to looking for a tenant for the property, the city is actively searching for someone to purchase The Docks, as well as a number of other sites around Toledo, Monske said.

“Anything that brings tenants into that facility is definitely a benefit to the city; if it’s us who owns it or even someone else,” he said. “Right now, we’re not collecting any rent and that’s costing taxpayers more money.”

The city has spoken with investors from China, Mexico and Turkey about business opportunities in Toledo, Monske said.

“We’re interested in selling the properties to anyone foreign, domestic and all that’s in between,” he said.

Marketing the different properties is “nothing new” for the administration and is something it’s been talking about since working on the 2010 budget, Monske said.

Cousino: I just want to thank Toledo for the past 15 years

The office of Mayor Mike Bell sent out a press release and held a press conference Jan. 6 on the closing of the three venues owned by the Cousino family at The Docks riverfront complex; Tango’s, Navy Bistro and The Courtyard. Toledo Free Press spoke with Tom Cousino about the closings.

The City of Toledo reported it was notified on the afternoon of Jan. 6 that Front Street Ventures intended to cease operations of Tango’s, Cousino’s Navy Bistro and The Courtyard at the Bistro.

It was said that Front Street Ventures has been arrears on their rent obligations to the City for the three venues, but in 2009 entered a payment plan. This week the decision was made to close all facilities. In a verbal agreement with the City of Toledo, Thursday, January 6, 2011 will be the final day of operations. The facilities will be secured by the city at the close of business.

“It’s a disappointment, but my intention is to continue marketing The Docks as an attractive and vibrant riverfront property to potential investors interested in Toledo,” said Mayor Michael P. Bell.

The release stated Zia’s, Real Seafood and Metropolis remain open to patrons.

Employees at Navy Bistro were not aware of the 8 p.m. press conference nor that the City was planning on placing its locks on the premises at the close of business Jan. 6. They did not want to comment on the record, Tom Cousino was unavailable for comment initially.

Cousino spoke to Toledo Free Press on Jan. 6, he said he did not want to get into all of the legal aspects of this, that it was all public record and would be out there. “We had 15 nice years and gave Toledo every ounce of energy we had. We are proud of our restuarants and what we created. I just want to thank Toledo for the past 15 years. I really don’t have much energy to say anything else at this time,” Cousino said.